Howdy, Stranger!

It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!

Sign In Register
Examples: Monday, today, last week, Mar 26, 3/26/04
Welcome home! Please contact lincoln@icrontic.com if you have any difficulty logging in or using the site. New registrations must be manually approved which may take several days. Can't log in? Try clearing your browser's cookies.

Why Buddhist believe reincarnation.

jlljll Veteran
edited November 2011 in Buddhism Basics
A Buddhist monks explains.

Comments

  • MountainsMountains Veteran
    edited November 2011
    Good explanation. I would add that I don't necessarily believe in reincarnation, but I do believe in rebirth. There's a big difference that's pretty fundamental.

    Without rebirth, the entire concept of karma is nonsensical.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    edited November 2011
    @Mountains Too bad you weren't mod when another member threatened everyone for months with his flogged dead-horse photos for touching on the topic of rebirth.

    Besides, it's safe now, MG. The person who made those discussions so painful is no longer here.

    Cheers.
  • MindGateMindGate United States Veteran
    edited November 2011
    I think I'm going to have to flag the above post for being irrelevant. :rolleyes:
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    Yeah, it's kind of hanging out there without a context, now.

    Mountains, MG was just doing his best SherabDorje imitation, it was supposed to be funny. In view of his earlier posts today in a similar vein. But I can see how newbies who didn't know Sherab wouldn't understand and could take it the wrong way.
    Oh well. :s
  • MindGateMindGate United States Veteran
    Well, I guess these random posts are going to be hanging out for a while until a mod finds out this thread is making no sense.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    Sorry, Jll. The film does do a good job of explaining how Buddhists are able to take rebirth on faith. Good find.
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    Reincarnation. Not rebirth. The two are quite different.
  • ToshTosh Veteran
    edited November 2011

    Without rebirth, the entire concept of karma is nonsensical.
    I'm trying to think how that could be. Now I know karma is a hugely complex subject that is said that only Enlightened beings can fully understand, but I can't see how karma kind of backs up rebirth.

    I mean where ever there is intention, karma is operating; when consciousness feels something pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral - which is pretty much all the time - then karma operates or manifests.

    But I reckon we could still die, and there could just be an ending of all consciousness, and those karmic seeds that failed to ripen could just die also; just like the vast majority of seeds from a plant will die before they grow and ripen.

    Am I missing something?

  • andyrobynandyrobyn Veteran
    The understanding you describe is consistent and complete and is missing nothing which is needed that I can see.
    The spirit and intent of all Buddhist teachings which I am yet to discover suggests as a practitioner all understandings are provisional and the whole concept of dogmatic and complete interpretations is refuted as ignorant.
  • seeker242seeker242 Zen Florida, USA Veteran
    Good explanation. I would add that I don't necessarily believe in reincarnation, but I do believe in rebirth. There's a big difference that's pretty fundamental.

    Without rebirth, the entire concept of karma is nonsensical.
    "And what is the result of kamma? The result of kamma is of three sorts, I tell you: that which arises right here & now, that which arises later [in this lifetime], and that which arises following that. This is called the result of kamma."

    Seems to me like 2 of the 3 sorts can exist without rebirth. :)
  • YishaiYishai Veteran
    Seeker. Without duty, breach, causation, and damages. You do not fulfill negligence.

    Similarly, there are three elements to kamma: now, later, next lifetime. Without all 3 you do not fulfill kamma completely. You're describing some kind of non-Buddhist kamma, no? Well non-orthodox I suppose is better wording.
  • compassionate_warriorcompassionate_warrior Veteran
    edited November 2011

    "And what is the result of kamma? The result of kamma is of three sorts, I tell you: that which arises right here & now, that which arises later [in this lifetime], and that which arises following that. This is called the result of kamma."
    Could you tell us the source of this passage? It's a good one, but there are other passages in the sutras that would indicate the Buddha said belief in rebirth isn't necessary. There is one such passage, called the Four Consolations, in the Kalama Sutra. So my question is this: people often say the Buddha tailored his teachings to his audience, being mindful of their own beliefs and ability to understand the teachings. So how do we know which passage is what he truly believed? This isn't a question about the rebirth debate so much as it is about how to interpret the scriptures. Will the "real" Tathagata please stand up?

  • robotrobot Veteran
    If someone is completely focused in the present moment, why would they have a belief about anything that they were not witnessing? Like most of us, the Buddha's audience would be at a level of realization that might not allow them to give up anchoring their view in one belief system or another and accept that there is nothing else going on outside of what is happening in this instant. I would say that that the Tathagata did not fall into belief on either side of the debate. Took the Middle Way.
Sign In or Register to comment.